What to Do If You Feel Disconnected From Your Family
Disappointment from unmet expectations is typically the underlying cause of feeling no connection to family. Mental health therapist Amira R Martin, LCSW-R, explains that some of the signs of a dysfunctional family include:
- poor communication or conflict avoidance
- lack of support or emotional validation
- enmeshment or over-involvement in each other’s lives
- physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
- addiction or substance abuse within the family
- unhealthy dynamics, such as scapegoating or favoritism
- neglect or disregard for the needs and feelings of individual family members
If you feel emotional detachment from your family, you can make some changes to cope with it and reconnect. Some of the things you can do to deal with emotional detachment:
Practice self-acceptance
It involves accepting your feelings and not putting yourself down for the situation.
Speak with a professional
Attending therapy can help you get professional advice to deal with emotional detachment. A therapist can teach you coping methods that help you heal and rebuild a relationship, if you want to.
Communicate regularly and openly
Therapist Grace Olivia Dickman, LCSW, suggests “practicing emotional vulnerability in small doses with your family. Share your feelings, ask meaningful questions about their wellbeing, or pull in a resource you learned in therapy.”
Other ways to deal with emotional detachment
There are numerous ways to rebuild a healthy connection with your family. It can take time to foster a safe relationship with loved ones, but you may also consider the following tips:
- gain an understanding of their values
- be patient
- understand their emotional needs
- learn more about yourself and the world
- address unresolved conflicts
- ask them about their lives and interests
- show them that you care
- ask why it seems like they don’t support you
- offer or ask for a sincere apology
- spend quality time together
- listen to their perspective
- show appreciation for them
- forgive them for past mistakes
Read the complete article available at PsychCentral!
Reflection:
How is your connection to you family?
#Family #Connection #Communication
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This is a really awesome and informative post! I think sometimes people don't think their family situation is "that bad" because it's not physical. So I'm thankful that you laid out what a dysfunctional family is.
Being the only one in the family to see the dysfunction or toxicity can definitely be hard and can often make us feel like an outcast. Its definitely important to try to build a support network if possible, even if it's here on Cups
@comfortableNight4463 Thank you for this post. It is so helpful to know that it's not too late to try and to have actionable items. I think about this a lot without knowing what to do, repeating the pattern from childhood of turning inward and hiding. Having an action plan gives hope. It may take time and effort but so does building other support networks just as much.
